"Thank you for doing this," David noted.

"Not a problem," Cal responded as he concentrated on the intersection. Once they were on the Beltway he wouldn't have to focus as much on what he was doing. Besides, he hadn't really done it to earn points. Ok yes he had, but not because he was trying to impress Gillian's father by giving him a ride to the airport. He just wanted her father to see that Cal was actually a good guy and he was better than Alec. Mostly the point scoring was with Gillian, so she would see that Cal could play nicely. He could be pleasant and helpful. Good marriage material. The thought made his stomach quiver. He didn't quite remember what had put the idea into his head but now that it was there, now that it was really there, he knew he wanted it. He wanted to marry Gillian. He wanted her to marry him.

And he half thought that she might go for it if he asked, despite conversations to the contrary because... well she was that kind of woman; she was the marrying type. Cal figured she must think about it. Sometimes. When she looked at him and she seemed so content (which felt amazing) and happy with him and them. But he also knew that it meant a bit of work, having her say 'yes'. He needed to show her he wasn't entirely a profaner of the landscape, but someone she could actually merge her life with. He had to show her they could be a partnership in more than business (because even now their business relationship was up and down like a cork on the tide. Such was the nature of two strong minded people. But those arguments never came home with them. Even if he was a pig headed jerk-bag, to quote Gillian herself). He could do marriage. He could do it well. He just needed to show her, to convince her in subtle ways. Which meant doing things like this. Taking her father to the airport. She had only known him when his previous marriage had been falling apart, but she didn't see all those years he was actually a happy husband.

All three of them, Cal, Gillian and David had had lunch the other day so there was no small talk in the car about where Cal was from and what had brought him to the States. There was no small talk about what David did out in San Diego and when he planned on getting back to DC. There was no small talk about whether business was good. They didn't talk sports or politics or the economy. David made a comment about the weather, hoping it would be a smooth flight. Cal grunted is acquiescence. They fell back into silence. It wasn't entirely comfortable.

"I'm gonna ask Gillian to marry me," Cal blurted.

David was silent for a moment. "I thought you might."

Cal gave another grunt. He didn't like to be undercut.

"She talks about you like... Well," he stopped. "It's a cliché but I haven't seen her this happy."

David sighed and looked out the passenger window. Cal glanced over at him subtly but he couldn't see his face; he noted the other man didn't make a comparison to another time she was supremely happy... "She deserves the best."

"I agree," Cal responded almost immediately. And then it struck him what that meant. It meant he had to be better than he was right now. It meant... it meant he had to do more. And it meant David knew that and was warning him... off? To wait? It was a good point. Cal should wait.

PJ

Cal lay in the middle of the bed, waiting for Gillian in his bathroom. She came back to the bedroom, stopping to note with a little frown that he was right in the middle of the mattress, then turned to close the door and put out the light. It was silent as she stepped across the carpet, then Cal felt her on his right, pulling back the covers to get in next to him. "Did Dad get away ok?"

"How should I know?"

She gave a little sigh as her head reached the pillow. "Did he get to the airport ok then?" She rephrased, her tone was dry.

"Yep."

"Ok. Thank you."

There were other things to work out too. Like the fact that she had said she didn't want to get married again. That would be the biggest one.

"Are you ok there?" Gillian shifted against him, trying to get comfortable in the narrow corridor he had left her. In the middle, there was no way she wouldn't be close to him. She meant, was he quite happy in the middle of the bed, taking up all the room?

"Yeah," Cal answered. Gillian hmphed and finally settled on her back and was still, her arm resting against his.

It wasn't just that. There were other things too. They had been... in a rough patch the last few months. Or a weird space. And he didn't quite know how to get back from that. He made trouble, not fixed it. Gillian fixed things.

They lay that way for a moment and then Cal shifted to turn over, to put his arm around her and rest his head against hers. She turned into him slightly, a little contended sigh, placing her hand over the top of his arm. She was warm. She was always warm and comforting and something in Cal stirred. Not lust but that love, that feeling he only felt for her. He wanted her to fix him. But of course, it didn't work that way. So that meant he had to figure it out on his own. He just hoped he managed it before he ever lost her.

And then he was going to ask her to marry him.